


No, My Last Name Isn't Kaiba

by shortpromptlongkiss



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:38:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17337890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortpromptlongkiss/pseuds/shortpromptlongkiss
Summary: Y/n has always flown below the radar, making sure that she isn't noticed very easily. That is, until Seto Kaiba comes to her school with an urgent message- someone is hunting her down. He gives her an offer to save her life, but it's one that she can't refuse.





	1. One

_ The immaculate brown locks..... _

_ The cold blue eyes..... _

_ The crisp, forced smile..... _

These were all things that came to mind when describing Seto Kaiba.

Unless, of course, you thought less of him than others did.

And you most certainly did.

You didn't plan to come in contact with the man, though the girls around you at your university did. They squealed and chattered when they heard that he would be coming to the campus to tour and see for himself how American schools worked. You just buried your nose in your Japanese textbook and continued to study.

"Y/n!" a voice called. You glanced up and smiled immediately. When you had entered the Japanese class, you had been paired with an exchanged student. You two were supposed to help each other understand your languages better, and it had actually helped. Your exchange student, Takehiko Sakurai, was a huge help when it came to learning the words and stringing together sentences. At the moment, he was strolling into the library, backpack slung over his shoulder and a clothing bag in one hand.

"Hi, Y/n-chan!" He greeted you, sitting down. "Studying?"

You nodded, setting your book down. "Yeah. Care to join me?"

Takehiko just laughed. "I wish I could, but I have to go get ready for tonight's banquet," he said.

"Banquet?" you asked, furrowing your brow. "I didn't hear about a banquet."

He smirked mischievously. "You didn't hear? To celebrate Seto Kaiba's arrival, the university staff is holding a banquet. We're all-" he muttered a few Japanese words under his breath to try and find the right English word, "-ah, required to attend." He set the clothing bag he was carrying on the table. "My sister Aoi sent me this- your size, I think." He stood up and turned on his heel before you could protest. "See you there!"

Once he was gone, you gingerly picked up the bag, unzipped it- and nearly threw up. "Oh no."

 

Back at the dorm, you found your roommate, Jade, sitting cross-legged on the bed with a simple pink dress in her hand. "Hey," she greeted. "Here to help me get ready for the banquet slash dance?"

This day keeps on getting better and better, you thought to yourself. "Takehiko said nothing about a dance."

"So he brought you that? Let me see," Jade exclaimed, snatching the bag out of your hands. "Oh, Y/n, that'll look so great on you!" she squealed, taking the deep midnight blue dress out and laying it carefully on your bed. "As far as I know, no one else is wearing blue."

You smirked, knowing that Takehiko would have known such a fact to make you stand out. "It's not like I have a choice, though. I didn't bring any other dresses with me."

Jade laughed, and with that sound, you knew she was going to show no mercy with helping you get ready.

And you were right.

An hour later, you stood in front of the full-length mirror. Jade had somehow tugged your hair into perfect curls that framed your face, along with pinning back your bangs. The skin-tight, knee-length sleeveless dress also worked well with the matching heels that Takehiko had dropped with Jade before giving you the garment.

"Ooh, Takehiko is going to faint when he sees you!" Jade squealed. "That boy's been crushing on you for forever, I know it!"

"Who knew college would still have relationship shit in it?" you wondered aloud, wishing that the dress had two straps instead of just one. You almost felt naked in it, though it covered all that needed to be covered, and then some. "How am I going to be able to walk?" you asked.

Jade grinned at you. Her dress also had a set of matching heels, but she seemed steady on her feet. "With this outfit, Seto Kaiba will want you in his arms and support you the whole night."

"You know how I feel about Seto Kaiba," you snapped back, a little frustrated. Jade often forgot that you didn't think about the billionaire every waking moment like other girls. If only she knew the story behind that-

"Enough talk, let's go!" Jade squealed, grabbing your arm and dragging you out of the dorm building. It was still summery outside- September was kind to you this time- so neither of you wore coats.

Jade did not stop talking until the two of you got to the main hall. "Can you believe," she commented at one point, "that our freshman year was so boring, but our sophomore year just got interesting?"

You just let her talk. After a year of rooming with her, you knew that she'd eventually wear herself out. Fortunately, she was absolutely quiet as you walked in, probably trying to make a good impression.

The party was already in full swing as the ushers for the evening, a couple of the professors, walked you and Jade to your table, where nameplates indicated your seat. You had barely had time to sit down and reach for a glass already full of water before another young man was escorted to your table.

You almost dropped the glass.

_ Blue eyes..... _

_ Immaculate brown hair..... _

_ Cold and calculating look..... _

Seto Kaiba sat down at the nameplate on your left. "Good evening, ladies," he greeted you and Jade, nodding.

Jade's eyes lit up and she smiled, picking up her glass as well. "Good evening, Mr. Kaiba." She elbowed you in the ribs quickly.

"Good evening, Mr. Kaiba," you echoed, giving him a smile that you hoped didn't look forced.

He gave you a smirk in return, turning to the waiter that had appeared. "I'll have a flute of champagne, please."

The waiter looked to you and Jade next. Immediately, Jade asked for two glasses of Sprite. You sighed internally in relief, glad she still had her wits about her. Mr. Kaiba's presence was throwing you for a loop.

"Oh, look!" Jade exclaimed. "They're going to start the dancing!"

"Go ask Takehiko to dance, then," you told her. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

Jade's eyes lit up. "Good idea~" she sang, then stood and approached the Japanese boy- leaving you alone with Seto.

You immediately realized your mistake, but knew it was pointless. Instead, you reached over and picked up one of the other nameplates. "Another exchange student," you muttered to yourself. The Japanese couple that was indeed meant to be sitting here was already dancing the waltz.

"Well, as we seem to be the only two left at the table," Seto said as the waiter returned with the drinks, "it seems fair for me to ask you to dance as well."

You wanted to decline as he stood up and held out a hand, but as you opened your mouth, his gaze got slightly more frigid and he said, "That wasn't a question."

A direct order, then. You couldn't say no at this point, so you carefully set your hand in his and he walked you to the outside of the dance floor.

"Do you know how to waltz?" he asked, setting his hand on your waist. You came very close to slapping him before you remembered that in most partner dances, the male sets his hand on the female's waist. However, you didn't know the exact steps of the waltz.

"No," you admitted, keeping your eyes on his.

Seto sighed in exasperation, grabbing your hand and placing it on his shoulder. He took your other hand in his and ordered, "Follow my feet with yours. It'll be easy from there."

Unfortunately, he was right. He effortlessly worked his way into the crowd, keeping you close to him so that you could stay slightly in control. "Good," he finally said, once you were near the center. "You're a quick learner."

"Thank you," you replied, noting that your face felt slightly hot. You suddenly felt the pressure of a pair of eyes on your back, and as Seto spun once again, you spotted a freshman girl glaring daggers at you. As you had thought. Other girls began to take notice and shot you looks as well. A circle cleared in the middle of the floor, leaving Seto more than enough room to dance with you. You felt the crowd staring, their eyes on you and him, pressing in.

"I'm going to spin you now," he said, grasping your hand tighter. Quickly, he twisted to one side, sending you out and away from him. His grip on your hand saved you, and as he pulled you back in, your body involuntarily twirled in a circle. The dance only became more complicated from there, and you hardly remembered it from all the spinning. As the song ended, Seto yanked you back to him for one last spin, caught your waist, and dipped you down closer to the floor.

Cameras flashed instantly, and you heard murmurs. Nothing, however, was as loud as Seto leaning down and whispering in your ear, " _ Malstrom Corporation has found you, Fox of the Shadows." _

You barely had time to gasp before he set you back on your feet, whispered, "You'll come find me if you want to live," and was gone.

 


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/n takes Seto up on his offer, but she has no idea what's in that contract he has.

 

_ No. _

There’s no way he could have known. You had been too careful, too cautious, too protective to let that slip.

And yet, as he strolled off through the crowd, leaving you stunned and confused, you knew that you had no choice. If he knew who you were, you were dead.

Unless you trusted him.

“Are you okay?” a voice said, snapping you out of your thoughts. “Y/n?”

You turned to see Takehiko, looking at you with a worried expression. “You seem off,” he said.

“I’m fine,” you told him, starting to make your way off of the dance floor. He stubbornly followed, catching your hand.

“Y/n, please. Did Kaiba say something that upset you?”

You shook your head. “It’s late. I should be getting back.” You pulled your hand out of his lightly, looking around for Jade. As if on cue, she materialized, grabbing your arm.

“We should be getting back.” She began to cough into her arm. “I think I’m sick!”

Takehiko raised an eyebrow but allowed the two of you to walk off. You knew he was watching- you could feel his eyes on you.

Once the two of you were outside, headed back to the dorm, Jade stopped coughing. “Okay. Spill.”

Clearly, she had been faking. It didn’t take a genius.

You did your best to look cute and innocent. “He asked me to meet him at the library after the party,” you told her, squishing up your face to give the appearance of repulsion.

“You have to go!” Jade exclaimed, taking your hand. “Who could pass up that opportunity? Alone with Seto Kaiba?” She sighed dreamily. “For my sake, at least, go.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll go,” you grumbled, hoping that your heart wasn’t audible. The beat had kicked up, causing a loud thump every half second. If your life was in danger, you had no choice but to meet him.

“Go right now,” Jade begged. “I’ll see you back at the dorm, okay?” She gave you a grin and a light shove. “You look hot right now, at least.”

You couldn’t help but smile back, giving her a wink. “I’ll let you know how it goes afterwards.”

“You do that!” She rushed off without another word.

_ How does she do that in heels? _

As you turned away, you realized suddenly that you had no idea where to do. You decided to walk back to the party and go from there. As you passed by a building- one of the dorms, most likely- a loud crack echoed through the air. You barely had time to register that it was a gunshot before someone grabbed your arm and pulled you into the alleyway between the two buildings.

“You are not to travel alone from now on, if you’re going to be that careless,” Seto snapped, drawing you flush to his chest as he drew a gun from his jacket and fired a shot out of the alleyway. A thud indicated the fall of a body, but you barely heard it. You were too distracted by the scent of Seto’s shirt. Extremely clean.

“Did you kill him?” you asked, wriggling out of his arms. He had been a little too close for comfort.

“No, I shot him in the shoulder. It was just a guard. Practically harmless.” He started walking towards a door in the wall a few meters down. “Come on.”

You quickly followed him, not wanting to risk another person seeing you and shooting. Your adrenaline was spiked enough. He led you through a maze of dark halls, which, as your eyes adjusted, you realized were lined with bookshelves. Kaiba must have found another small library somewhere.

“Mr. Kaiba-” you began, but he pressed a finger to his lips and kept walking. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he stepped into an open space with comfortable-looking chairs and a table with a few books on it. He sat in one of the chairs and gestured for you to take the other.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,” he started to say, but you held up a hand as you sat down.

“Please, Mr. Kaiba. The Fox of the Shadows can defend herself,” you replied.

“The little display with the guard proves otherwise,” he snapped back. “Such an important person to the late Mr. Princeton, charged with guarding his three sons, attending college in America?” He opened one of the books, removing a file folder.

You blinked. “If I may, Mr. Kaiba, I’d like to know how you gathered all this information.”

Seto chuckled. “I have contacts in every country, keeping an eye on the Fox of the Shadows. Mr. Princeton would be turning in his grave with your actions.”

“And what of his three sons?” you asked, leaning forward, determined to know more. “The little one was just a baby when I left for America.”

“That’s none of your concern right now,” Seto said. “I believe the Japanese program you are in has a two-month trip planned in a week?”

You swallowed. “And what about that trip, Mr. Kaiba?”

Seto sat back in his chair, a smile working its way onto his face. “I have a proposition to make, Miss L/n. When you come to Japan, you will stay in my manor so that I can keep an eye on you. In return, I’ll pay the rest of your college expenses. Your tuition right now is being paid on the money Mr. Princeton left you in his will, is it not?”

Correct again. That money was running low, and you were certain that it would only last until the end of the semester. You had few options, but many questions.

“And what else is in it for you?” you asked, also moving to sit back. “You’re not one to just give without taking.”

Seto’s smirk widened. “You’re absolutely right, Miss L/n. The only other thing I ask of you is one simple contract to be signed, that way I can assure that you will be by my side.”

You watched his expression carefully, trying to figure out what he meant by that. “And that contract would be, Mr. Kaiba?”

He chuckled quietly. “Well, a contract that says you will promise to keep up the act of a romantic relationship. It’s the only way I can protect you and the Princeton brothers without creating a scandal on my end.”

“Keep up the act of a romantic relationship?” you exclaimed.

“You’re welcome to ‘break it off’ with me after you are out of danger,” Kaiba assured you, “However, you will need training to become a lady of society’s higher standards. I will personally oversee that.”

You took a deep breath. If Seto was correct, and your life was truly in danger (along with your college education), you didn’t have much of a choice.

“You’ve left no loopholes in this contract, I assume?” you ventured cautiously.

Seto pulled a document out of the folder. “Of course. Things such as you will accompany me to all formal events, you cannot have affairs with other men-” he completely ignored your quick glare, “-you will need to act as though you are romantically interested in me, all included. You may read it over if you wish, but with your options, I don’t think you need to.”

You took the paper out of his hands, flipping through it. A three-front-and-back-page contract, telling you the ins and outs of a relationship with Seto Kaiba.

“ ‘This is only for the two months that Miss Y/n L/n is in Japan,” you read out loud. “ “This contract will terminate once she returns to America.’ What? What if my life is still in danger?”

Seto shook his head. “You underestimate me.” He tapped a line beneath it.

You glanced down at the typed sentence. “ ‘If Mr. Seto Kaiba fails to take Miss Y/n L/n out of danger by the time of her return to America, this contract is instantly null and void.’ “ You looked up. Seto was holding out a pen.

Cautiously, you took it. He hadn’t left you any choices. You flipped to the last page and signed your name on the line provided. Closing the packet, you handed it back to Seto.

“Mr. Kaiba, you’ve got yourself a deal,” you said, holding out your hand.

Seto took it and gave it one firm shake. “Quite a pleasure, Miss L/n,” he returned, standing and pulling you with him. “Oh, and one last thing. You probably should have read the contract a bit more thoroughly.”

You glanced to the contract, and the first page, which you hadn’t looked at one bit.

_ Mr. Kaiba is free to display any affections he pleases when necessary. _

_Frick,_ you had time to think before Seto cupped the back of your neck with one hand and roughly kissed you.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Seto, what are you doing?” you whispered, backing up. The wall hit your back, leaving you with nowhere to go. The billionaire’s hands slammed into the wall, trapping you.
> 
> “I’m just following the contract, my dear,” he chuckled, kissing you again.
> 
> You tried to push him off, but his strength seemed to double every time you shoved. “Seto, let me go!”
> 
> “I don’t think-”

You stumbled backwards, alarmed at the swiftness of the kiss. “M-Mr. Kaiba!” you stuttered, backing up slightly.

Seto smirked, hand still on the back of your neck. “I hope you have a pleasant last week in America, Miss L/n,” he said, stepping back as well. “And please, you may start calling me Seto.”

Without warning, he was gone, taking the folder and the contract with him.

You let out a heavy sigh and began to head out of the dark halls, brushing your hand along the bookshelves.  _ He tasted like….. Spearmint. Never been one of my favorite flavors, but….. It’s good on him. _

_ No. Bad Y/n. Don’t think like that. _

By the time you got back to the dorm, your face was a good shade of red and your hair was a mess from tugging at it in frustration. The minimal amount of lipgloss Jade had put on you was smudged as well, as you saw in the mirror that stood on the mantle in the common room. If you could just sneak past the other girls’ room and then into your bathroom-

“Hey, Y/n, where’ve you been?” a freshman girl asked as you passed. You recognized her as the freshman you’d been assigned to on the first day of the year to lead to her classes.

“Hi, Maddie,” you greeted, attempting to sidestep the tiny brunette.

“Jade said you ran off with Seto Kaiba! Oh my gosh, is your lipgloss smudged?” She gasped, then pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul!”

Your face darkened even more. “Thanks, Maddie. Have a good night.”

She waved enthusiastically, scooting around you and into her room. You continued on your path, reaching down to take off your heels. God knows they were making enough noise as it is.

Mercifully, Jade was asleep as you slipped back into the room. She’d left the door unlocked again. Lucky for you.   
You ducked into the bathroom and grabbed your makeup wipes, quickly getting rid of the evidence of Seto’s kiss.

“That kiss…..” you muttered, gripping the sink. “He’s going to ruin my life, isn’t he?”

“Who?” Jade asked, poking her head into the bathroom.

“Nothing,” you responded. “Will you toss me my pajamas?”

Jade disappeared for a second, then returned, pajamas in hand. “There you go. Get some sleep.”

You dressed quickly, made sure that your clothes were thrown into the hamper, and then practically crawled into bed. “Ugh, I’m exhausted,” you groaned, and promptly fell asleep.

 

_ “Seto, what are you doing?” you whispered, backing up. The wall hit your back, leaving you with nowhere to go. The billionaire’s hands slammed into the wall, trapping you. _

_ “I’m just following the contract, my dear,” he chuckled, kissing you again. _

_ You tried to push him off, but his strength seemed to double every time you shoved. “Seto, let me go!” _

_ “I don’t think-” _

 

The alarm next to your bed buzzed, signaling the time to be 4:30 in the morning, and the start of the first day of the college’s trip to Japan. Jade smacked the snooze button and got up lazily, stretching like a cat. You simply laid in bed, glancing around the room to make sure that Seto hadn’t found his way in somehow.

It had been a week since your encounter with Seto in the hidden library, but you were still shaken from it. Dreams like the one that had just occurred had plagued you for the past few days.

“Jade, hypothetical question, how does one get rid of dreams that you don’t want to be having?” you asked as you slipped a white crop top over your head.

“Um, try sleeping pills. God, the dreams I have sometimes, one sleeping pill and they’re gone,” she said, tossing you a pair of jean shorts. “Did you get your hotel reservation written down?”

You swallowed. “Um, actually, Se- Mr. Kaiba invited me to stay at his mansion.” You pushed your hair out of your eyes, pinning it back. A bobby pin fell out of your hand when Jade dropped her suitcase.

“He’s INTO YOU, GIRL!” Jade screamed, launching into the air with a squeal. “YAS!”

You rolled your eyes. “Please.” Inside your chest, however, your heart did a backflip. What if Seto really was interested in you? What would you do?

“Let’s just go, Jade, I wanna get outta here,” you grumbled, grabbing a PopTart off the dresser and opening it.

Jade grinned. “If he likes you, you owe me five bucks,” she giggled.

“Fine, but once we get back to America, you’ll owe me that amount too,” you shot back as you picked up your suitcase and headed for the elevator.

Jade only smiled and followed you out, locking the door behind her.

 

A bus and a limousine waited outside for the students to travel to the airport. Jade squealed. “Wow, a limousine! That must be Kaiba!”

As if on cue, Seto stepped out of the car, scanning the parking lot. His gaze found your tired face and he lifted a hand in greeting.

“Come with me, please,” you hissed to Jade.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Jade laughed, taking your hand and pulling you toward the car. She stopped about two feet from Kaiba, grinning from ear to ear. “Hello, Mr. Kaiba!” she greeted him, bowing slightly as was custom in Japan. You bowed as well, but kept your eyes on him.

“Mr. Kaiba, this is my friend Jade Palmeri. I’d like for her to travel with us to Japan,” you said. A few days ago, you had made the decision that you wanted to bring Jade on the plane with you, at least. Maybe that would keep Seto at bay for a little bit.

“Of course, if you would like,” Seto said. He turned back to the open door of the limousine. “Let’s go, then.”

Jade beamed at me. “Wow, you’re the best!” she said as she climbed into the car. She took the seat across from Kaiba, leaving you to sit next to him. Reluctantly, you joined him on the soft seats.

“The seats are filled with down,” he explained, laying a hand between you and him, patting the black fabric.

“They’re so soft!” Jade exclaimed, running her hand along the surface of her seat.

That was the end of conversation until you got to the airport, where Seto’s private jet waited. “Hurry,” he said, beckoning. “We need to get going to meet the other group.”

Jade’s tired eyes widened as the two of you stepped onto the plane. “Do all billionaires live like this?”

Seto shrugged. “Indulge while you can. Life is short.”

“I wish I had the money to think like that,” Jade told you in an excited whisper.

You just rolled your eyes and flopped down in one of the seats. It almost immediately cushioned your back and legs, drawing an immediate sigh of bliss out of you. “I haven’t had this good of a seat in years!”

“I’m glad that you like it,” Seto said, sliding into the seat next to you. “This flight is going to take a while, even though we’re not stopping, so I’d recommend using some sleeping pills if you have trouble sleeping on planes.”

Jade was already out, so there wasn’t much need to tell her that. You sighed, reaching forward to give your friend a quick pat on the head before also leaning back and closing your eyes to get that well-deserved rest.

 

Hours (and a couple sleeping pills) later, your eyes opened. Your cheek was pressed up against something, and you could feel a crick starting in your neck. As you moved to sit up, a hand pressed into your hair, keeping you in place.

Seto tugged at your hair slightly, but certainly not gently. “We still have another couple of hours to go, in case you were wondering.”

“When did you move to sit right here?” you muttered, turning your head so that your forehead rested against his shoulder. He’d obviously put on cologne this morning; it was a pretty strong smell. Not a bad smell either…..

“You were almost falling over in your sleep,” he explained sharply, refusing to make eye contact with you. “I just came here to hold you up. Now go back to sleep.”

You shook your head. “I’m okay, really,” you replied as your eyes slowly closed.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Keep ahold of me,” Seto added, as if he hadn’t heard you. “A big city like this, you could get lost.”
> 
> “I’m not a child-”
> 
> “And I’m at the end of my rope.”

You woke to the sounds of the plane hitting the runway. Seto was no longer in the seat directly next to you- in his place was a pillow which your head had been resting on. As you looked around, you saw that he was sitting across the aisle from you.

“We’re here!” Jade announced as she looked out the window. “Man, Japan looks so cool!”

“Let’s practice our Japanese,” you suggested.

“Great!” Jade squealed. “Mr. Kaiba can help us if we mispronounce anything,” she said.

You turned to Seto. “ _ I mean, if he’s willing _ ,” you said in Japanese.

He looked up, shrugged and said, “I’m done signing contracts for the day.”

Jade grinned. “Okay, we’ll start off simple.  _ My name is Jade. What do you do for a living? _ ”

You snickered. “ _ I am…. One hell of a butler, _ ” you replied with a huge smile.

Jade lost it and began to cackle, falling off of her chair as the plane stopped. Even Seto cracked a smile, though you suspected it was forced for Jade’s benefit.

Once you got off the plane, Seto immediately waved the two of you past customs. “Let’s go. The others already got here. Our expected arrival was pushed back because of a detour.”

“You can’t just walk past customs!” Jade exclaimed.

“I’m Seto Kaiba,” he reminded her. “I basically decide who lives and who dies.”

You chuckled in spite of yourself, then quickly took on a stoic face. You didn’t need Seto to think you were weak just because of a little joke.

The air outside the airport spoke of the beginnings of autumn, giving a crisp tint to the wind. You immediately wrapped your jacket tightly around yourself, shivering a little.

“Miss Palmeri,” Seto said, turning to Jade. “I have a cab waiting to take you to your hotel. Miss L/n will meet up with you tomorrow in the square a few blocks down from where you’re staying.”

“Thank you for the ride here, Mr. Kaiba,” Jade said, bowing slightly as you’d learned in class. She turned and got into the waiting cab, waving to you excitedly. “Have fun!” The cab door closed and she left you on a curb with Seto Kaiba.

“Take my arm,” Seto ordered you, holding out his arm. You hesitantly set your hand in the crook of his elbow, squeezing slightly. He gave you a slight look. “Not that firmly. It’s a casual gesture. Mr. Princeton must not have allowed you and your mother to go to formal events.”

“Shut up,” you growled. You were well aware of your status, and the fact that you would typically fall far below Seto’s radar, were you not a guard for the Princetons for two years.

“Keep ahold of me,” Seto added, as if he hadn’t heard you. “A big city like this, you could get lost.”

“I’m not a child-”

“And I’m at the end of my rope.”

Reluctantly, you followed him across the street to a building that was a good half a mile tall. "Is that-"

"Malstrom Company," Seto said. "The Japan branch is significantly less dangerous."

You stared up at the intimidating building and took a deep breath. "Wow."

Seto gave his arm a tug, leading you past the skyscraper. "We shouldn't linger here. Let's go."

You nodded in agreement- and that was when a camera flashed in your face.

" _ Mr. Kaiba, did you enjoy your trip to America _ ?" a young woman asked in Japanese, holding a microphone in Seto's face.

" _ No comment _ ," Seto replied, striding past her.

No sooner had he taken two steps than another reporter, an older male, poked his mic into your personal bubble. " _ And who's this lovely lady you have with you? _ "

Seto just kept walking.

"How do you ignore them?" you asked, glancing over your shoulder at the two reporters.

"Repetition gets boring after awhile," he replied.

Suddenly, what sounded like a million pairs of footsteps began to play behind you. You glanced over your shoulder and almost screamed. A good thirty reporters were now storming at you and Seto, all yelling questions.

Not a moment too soon, a sports car pulled up to the curb, and the young man in the driver's seat shouted, " _ Get in, bro! _ "

Bro? No one seemed to have the status to call Seto Kaiba "bro." Unless.....

" _ I wasn't expecting company, _ " the guy said as Seto fastened both his and your seatbelt.

"Drive, Mokuba," Seto commanded in English.

Mokuba glanced in the rear view mirror as he pulled away at probably twice the speed limit. "Mokuba Kaiba, at your service," he told you.

"Nice to meet you, Mokuba," you replied, still slightly dazed from the quick escape.

"Y/n will be staying with us during her two-month trip here," Seto told Mokuba, who by now you were assuming was Seto's younger brother.

Mokuba grinned. "Sweet, I like her already. She's got spunk." He glanced off to the right side of the road. "Oh, here we are!"

Honestly, you'd expected the mansion to be bigger, given Kaiba’s status. He lead you through a door the size of your living room and into the lobby of the huge house. “Welcome to the Kaiba mansion,” he said. “I’ll see to it that you are settled in. Your luggage is already in your room for the trip.

“Thank you,” you replied politely.

A maid came scurrying up, smiling shyly. “Hello,” she greeted you. You smiled back and held out your hand.

“ _ It’s nice to meet you. My name is Y/n L/n _ ,” you told her. She let out a sigh of relief, clearly happy that you spoke Japanese.

“Suoh-san,” Seto told her, setting a hand on your shoulder. “Please make sure that she is ready for the dinner with the Princeton Corporation tonight.”

The maid nodded excitedly, turned, and began walking off. You followed her, shouldering your bag. She led you through a maze of halls to a huge bedroom at one end of the mansion. “I hope you find your room accommodating,” she whispered in English, sounded almost a little frightened. She opened the door and you gasped.

“Whoa.” You stepped into the room and looked around. The lavish surroundings that you had stepped into seemed like a whole different world. The walls were deep blue, matching the comforter on the bed, which was king-sized and four-poster. No pictures or posters hung on the walls, and there was few furniture save two nightstands, a chair and a desk. However, when you turned to look at the wall behind you, you spotted a poster that displayed the Duel Monsters card Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

“Is this Seto’s room?” you asked, turning back to Suoh-san.

She smiled. “Yes, actually. He requested for you to unpack here. Your clothes are already hung up in the closet.”

You mentally groaned. Seto was, once again, one step ahead of you, protection-wise.  _ He’s sleeping on the floor, then _ , you thought with a small chuckle.

The maid took your backpack and set it on the bed, then put you in the desk chair. “Mr. Kaiba requested for you to get ready,” she explained. “The banquet is across Domino City at the concert center. Formal dress is required.” She threw open the closet to reveal a number of dresses, all in varying shades of blue.

“I swear, this guy has some unexplainable marriage to the color blue,” you muttered, walking over to the closet. After a quick look, you selected the least revealing one, a light blue dress that clung to your torso, then turned into a skirt from your waist down and ended at the floor once you put it on. It even had nice long sleeves suitable for the time of year.

Suoh-san smiled. “You look lovely, Miss L/n,” she whispered.

You returned the grin. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head.

“What’s your first name?” you asked the maid. “I’d like to be your friend. You seem super nice.”

Suoh san gave you a tentative look. “You must not tell Mr. Kaiba that I told you. He will be angry, but it’s… Suki. Suki-chan. You can call me… Suki-chan.”

You bowed slightly at the waist, then straightened once again. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Suki-chan. You can call me Y/n in return.”

She grinned excitedly, then hugged you. “Thank you. You’re the first real friend I’ve had in a long time.” She pulled back. “Now, let’s get you ready for the banquet.”

  
  


**(a/n: Yeah, that’s my OHSHC OC Suki Suoh-senpai. She seemed like a suitable character for this role.)**

 


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto began to dance slowly, leading you in a careful waltz around the floor, taking you out of the room and into another world- a world where no one was there, your old job didn’t matter, and Malstrom Corp wasn’t after you.
> 
> He was so close, you could have kissed him. You could have. You should have. You should have stood on your tiptoes and pressed your lips to his.

Several hours later, you were dressed to impress in the gown you’d picked out earlier with matching flats. Your hair was done in light curls and pinned back from your face, and Suki-chan had applied minimal makeup.

“Let’s go,” she said, taking your arm and pulling you out of the room. “Mr. Kaiba will meet you downstairs.” Both of you descended the grand staircase in the entry hall and joined an equally well-dressed Seto on the ground.

Seto spared a nod for the wonderful young maid, then took your arm and practically dragged you out. A quick glance at his apparel gave you an Armani suit with a blue tie that matched your dress.  _ Great. Now everyone is going to know that we’re going as a couple. _

Not that that was a bad thing. If Malstrom Corporation was after you, it was nice to know that someone was watching your back. And maybe Jade’s.

Once you were in the limousine, you turned to Seto and asked, “Can you have surveillance on Jade, too? Just in case those men decide that the only way to get to me is through my friends.

“Good thinking,” Seto replied, taking out his phone. “I’ll add it to my to-do list. I’m very glad that we avoided that ‘classic’ action movie trope.”

“I’m just glad that Jade will be a little safer,” you muttered, glaring a few daggers at him.

Seto looked up. “No need for the death stare, Miss L/n. After all, once we step out of that car, the whole world knows that we’re a happy couple.”

You about spit out the… well… spit in your mouth. “I-”

“Contract,” Seto reminded you. You cursed yourself mentally for forgetting. Of course!

The only response you could manage was that of the, “Well, that wasn’t my worst death stare. If you’d seen my level ten one, you’d be so scared-”

“I’m sure,” Seto interrupted. “We’re here.” He got out of the car first, opening your door for you and reaching for your hand. You realized that many reporters waited behind him with bated breath, so you took his hand and put on a huge smile.

“ _ Mr. Kaiba _ !” One reporter exclaimed as you got out of the limo. The Japanese speech bombarded your ears. “ _ You’ve never brought a date to any banquets before- who is this exquisite young woman _ ?”

Exquisite? No one had ever described you that way before, except Takehiko, on the night that you both had met. Still, you didn’t want to draw attention to yourself, so you turned away from the cameras, immediately looking to Seto for help. Luckily, he had a plan. Of course.

“ _ Come along, darling _ ,” Seto told you, tugging at your arm slightly. “ _ We shouldn’t be too late if we hurry _ .”

“ _ Mr. Kaiba! Where on earth did you find this treasure of a girl? _ ”

Okay, that was going too far. You were about to judo flip the reporter who had asked that, but Seto squeezed your arm harshly, telling you silently to stop.

He turned back to the reporters, and, in a rare moment of acknowledging the press, said, “ _ This is Y/n L/n. She is an American girl that I met a few years ago- _ ” spinning lies for the public, as usual, “ _ -and I finally decided to bring her back to Japan so that we may be married. _ ”

You need to have a little talk with Seto, likely using a few choice words.

The reporters’ clamor rose, prompting Seto to wave them off and pull you up the stairs, shooting a “fond” smile at you every now and then.

Once you were inside and in the long entrance hall, you slapped him immediately. “What the hell was that?” you snapped, clenching your fists.

“It’s the only way I can plausibly have you living in my house and not raise suspicions of affairs,” Seto replied nonchalantly. He didn’t seem fazed by the slap at all! “If I should have asked permission, I’m sorry, but I knew that you would say no.”

You let out a huff. Of course his argument was a good one. There was no working around that man!

“Fine. But next time, let me know, like if you announce I’m pregnant or something,” you told him. “Now let’s go.”

“As you wish,” Seto chuckled, offering you his arm once again.

He opened the door to the grand lobby of the Princeton concert hall, drawing a quick gasp out of you. “What…?”

“Try not to look too surprised, my dear,” he said through a smirk, clearly having fun with nicknames and the fact that you practically fainted every time he showed you something extremely expensive.

“Hello, Mr. Kaiba!” a woman who was maybe in her mid-thirties called, approaching you. “I believe you’ve met my sons?”

Your breath caught in your throat as a boy who couldn’t be more than five years old poked his head out from behind her skirt. “Chazz?” you breathed.

Seto smiled down at you affectionately. “Very good, my dear, yes. This is the youngest Princeton, if I’m not mistaken, of course.”

You silently thanked him for getting you out of the slip-up.

The woman nodded with a small smile. “He looks so much like his father. I think Slade and Jagger take after me.”

_ You mean, they’re little bs with no sense of selflessness? _

Chazz slowly stepped out from behind the woman, Mrs. Princeton, and reached up his little hand. “ _ Nanny-sama? _ ” he whispered. You tried to keep your panic back. He was only a baby when you left! How could he have known?

Mrs. Princeton chuckled. “ _ Chazz, dear, come back here. Your nanny left when you were just a baby. She had to go to America _ .”

Chazz kept his hand extended. “ _ She looks just like her, _ ” he added.

Slowly, you reached out and took his hand. “ _ Hello, Chazz _ ,” you replied.

“Mrs. Princeton. Chazz. This is my fiancee, Y/n,” Seto told them.

Mrs. Princeton held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Y/n,” she greeted with a small smile and very clearly feigned politeness.

Still, you took her hand, noting the knowledge of American greetings that Mrs. Princeton still possessed. After a quick shake, you let go and stepped back to link your arm through Seto’s. He tugged your arm gently and said, “Let’s go, my dear. We should greet the two older brothers.”

The brothers in question had been the bane of your existence for the two years that you had worked for them. Both were eleven and both snobby, and had tormented you nonstop, calling you a “commoner” and “peasant”. If given the chance, you would sucker-punch them in the face. With a metal brick.

“Mr. Kaiba!” one of them called out, waving him over.

“How old are they?” you asked Seto as he pulled you over to the two.

“Fifteen. Much too young for you to even think about deserting me,” he hissed back quietly.

“Not likely. Those two are a holes,” you chuckled.

Seto suppressed a small chuckle, letting go of your arm to shake both brothers’ hands. “Jagger and Slade Princeton. It’s been a long time.”

“Fantastic to see you again, Mr. Kaiba,” Slade-  _ you hated that brat _ \- said.

“Likewise,” Seto responded, though you suspected that he didn’t mean it.

Jagger spoke up quickly. “I heard that you’ve finished drawing up your blueprints for Duel Academy. Do you have possible students for the first couple of years?”

Seto nodded. “A couple. There are two boys in particular that show promise. I believe you know of the Truesdale Corporation?”

Slade cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t the oldest child training up North?”

“Yes,” Seto agreed. “He’s seven, and the most prodigious one I’ve seen so far. The other one is a product of the Rhodes family…”

You began to tune out the conversation, ignoring Seto and the idle chit-chat. A few minutes later, Seto mercifully turned away, bid the brothers goodbye, and let you to one of the many tables spread out. He pulled out a chair for you, giving you a smirk. “Well, you can sit. Those shoes don’t look very comfortable.”

Immediately, you sat down in the most refined way you could, giving him a nod and a thanks. He sat next to you as a couple of waiters set down champagne and plates of food. Seto began to eat as soon as the waiters left, so you did the same.

The food was amazing! You’d never tasted anything this good. Steak and sauce and asparagus and a few pieces of fish, too! It was even filling. You got through about three-quarters of the plate before you were full. Seto pushed aside his mostly-empty plate as well and stood, offering you his hand.

“We should go dance,” he said quietly. “There are a few couples out there, so we won’t be alone.”

You took his hand cautiously, unsure of whether he was serious. His hand wrapped around yours and he pulled you to your feet, leading you to the dance floor.

“You remember the waltz step?” he asked, setting his hand on your waist.

“I think so,” you replied, setting yours on his shoulder.

Seto began to dance slowly, leading you in a careful waltz around the floor, taking you out of the room and into another world- a world where no one was there, your old job didn’t matter, and Malstrom Corp wasn’t after you.

He was so close, you could have kissed him. You could have. You should have. You should have stood on your tiptoes and pressed your lips to his.

But you didn’t. Public image and all. As the song faded away, Seto stopped his movements, leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to your forehead. A camera flash went off, and you knew there was going to be hell to explain to Jade tomorrow.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But, Mr. Kaiba, your next meeting starts in five minutes,” you tried to say, backing up.
> 
> Seto caught your wrist, pinning it against his desk. “I’ll make the most of the time I have, then.”
> 
> His lips pressed against yours in a chaste kiss, the hand not pinning your wrist moving to cup the back of your waist. Your hands floated to his hair, tangling your fingers in the soft brown locks.

_ Twenty-three voicemails? _

That was a little excessive, even for Jade. But that was how many you found once you got back to the mansion after the banquet at the Princeton concert hall. You sighed and hit a button, starting the long chain.

_ “Hey, Y/n, it’s Jade. Why did I say that? It’ll tell you with caller ID. Anyway, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?” _

_ “Hi, Jade again. CALL ME.” _

_ “Y/n, I love you, but we shouldn’t keep this big of a secret.” _

_ “Y/N! ANSWER YOUR PHONE!” _

_ “ARE YOU REALLY ENGAGED TO SETO FREAKING KAIBA?!” _

_ “I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE SEEING HIM!” _

_ “OMG IS THAT WHY HE DANCED WITH YOU?” _

_ “Honey, I’m marching down to that mansion, because I know he lives in a mansion, and I’m strangling the information out of you if you don’t respond.” _

There were a few more like the first couple, and a good amount with death threats on both you and Kaiba. You shut off your phone with a sigh as Seto walked into your- his- room.

“What’s the trouble?” he asked, setting down a stack of paperwork on the desk.

“Jade left me twenty-three voicemails,” you responded.

His brow furrowed, and he took a deep breath. “Voicemails. The true bane of my existence, other than my ever-victorious rival Yugi Muto.”

“I hate ‘em,” you growled, deleting all of them. “I might need to call her.”

“I might need to call the press and get this man fired,” Seto said, holding out his phone. The screen displayed an article and a picture of Seto kissing your forehead.

_ Mr. Seto Kaiba arrived at the Princeton banquet last night with a young American woman on his arm. Early in the evening, he told a group of reporters outside of the concert hall that she was Y/n L/n, his fiancee. According to Mr. Kaiba, he had been making trips to America to court this young woman until he finally asked her to marry him. A picture of him and Miss L/n at her opening banquet for her college is provided. We simply cannot wait to see what kind of wedding these two will provide us. _

You gritted your teeth, taking in the picture of you and Seto dancing on the night that he had first come to your school. “Damn reporters,” you snapped, crossing your arms.

“There are a good thirty more articles just like that one, and more on the way,” Seto said, laying his phone on the desk.

“You planned this!” you exclaimed. “Marrying you would tie us together and you’d forever keep me from going back to America. That keeps the contract from finalizing!”

Seto smirked. “I’ve bought myself some time, don’t you think?”

You growled under your breath. “Fine. I will admit, you are a fantastic businessman. I’ll let you have your little engagement, but I’ll still find my way back to America.”

He sat down on the opposite side of the bed. “Please, my dear, you should rest. It’s been a very long day, and jet lag has likely not been kind to you.”

“I refuse to sleep in the same bed as you,” you growled.

“Fine. Sleep on the floor then.”

 

To your credit, you tried.

Around midnight, you woke up with a sore back. “Son of a gun,” you muttered, standing shakily and walking over to the bed, only to find that Seto had played you again.

He had casually flopped down right in the middle of the bed. No matter what side you laid down on, you would be curled up against him. You gritted your teeth and slowly sat down on the mattress.

“I knew you couldn’t stay there long,” Seto said, much to your surprise.

“Don’t scare me like that!” you snapped. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I am not, but the rest of the household is,” he replied, sitting up and scooting over. “Come on. I don’t bite.”

With a sigh, you crawled under the covers and turned your back on him, trying to curl up and go to sleep.

Seto wasn’t there.

Seto wasn’t there.

Seto wasn-

 

_ “But, Mr. Kaiba, your next meeting starts in five minutes,” you tried to say, backing up. _

_ Seto caught your wrist, pinning it against his desk. “I’ll make the most of the time I have, then.” _

_ His lips pressed against yours in a chaste kiss, the hand not pinning your wrist moving to cup the back of your waist. Your hands floated to his hair, tangling your fingers in the soft brown locks. _

_ “Mr. Kaiba-” _

_ “We’re engaged, my dear. Feel free to call me Seto.” _

_ “Seto-” _

 

You bolted up in bed, sweat trickling down your back. “What-”

“Go back to sleep. You’ll be meeting your friend at the park in five hours, and you should sleep for three of those.” Seto rolled onto his back, his sapphire eyes locking on your features. “And by the way, you forgot to take off your makeup last night.”

“Crap!” you exclaimed, shooting out of bed and rushing to the bathroom, almost screaming at the sight of the smudged mascara and lipstick. If any of the staff saw you, they’d assume something different than forgetting to wash your face. Oh well. You were apparently engaged to the man.

A couple of makeup wipes from your bag later, you returned to the main room, finding Seto beginning to rifle through the closet.

“Hey, do me a favor, change in there,” you told him, shutting the closet door. Seto mumbled a reply, and then was silent.

You sat down on the bed, crossing your legs. “Are you going to go to work?”

“If, by that, you mean leave you at the manor, then no. You’re coming with me,” he called back.

“I can handle myself!” you snapped, jumping to your feet.

Seto scoffed, then the door opened. “Can you hand me the white shirt I laid on the chair?” he asked.

“Get it yourself,” you returned, then wished you hadn’t. Seto walked out of the closet, completely shirtless. "And put it on, please," you added.

“Why? Neither of us have to leave for a couple of hours. Breakfast is in thirty minutes. Yes, it is. Don’t give me the ‘but you wanted me to to sleep for another three hours’ look. And besides, you’re still in your pajamas. I’d say we’re pretty equal,” he shot back. Nevertheless, he picked up his shirt and slid his arms through it. “In any case, I thought you would want me shirtless.”

You turned a good five shades of red, glaring him down. “Just get dressed.”

Seto moved so fast you could barely blink. Without warning, he was hovering over you. “Should I? I could just…” he moved his hand to the neckline of your nightgown slowly. “...put you on my level.”

You gritted your teeth and swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” You wriggled back, pushing at him as he crawled toward you. “I agreed to pretend to be in a romantic relationship, nothing like this!”

Seto stopped immediately, sitting back on his feet. With a sigh, he buttoned up his shirt, rolling his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go down early for breakfast, in that case.”


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mokuba Kaiba picked up on the first ring. “Hello, this is Mokuba Kaiba, at your ser-”
> 
> Your body decided to start sobbing at that exact moment.
> 
> “Y/n!” Mokuba exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”

“Explain this picture!”

“We’d just been dancing, okay? I stepped too hard on my foot and my ankle twisted. He was making sure I was good,” you replied, touching Jade’s phone screen lightly.

She took a deep breath and flicked to the next article. “And this one?”

“Helping me up the stairs.”

Jade sighed happily. “A true gentleman!”

You thought back to this morning, and Seto’s advances. “Yeah, a true gentleman,” you said, trying to keep your tone lighthearted. You could still feel his hands on your skin, and you willed the unseen fingerprints to go away.

“So…” Jade giggled, turning off her phone. “Have you kissed him? Is he a good kisser? Have you seen him shirtless? Oh my gosh, have you guys done it?”

She stopped asking questions once she saw the overwhelmed look on your face. It quickly changed to disgust at her last inquiry. “Um, n- yes, I guess, yes, and ew, no!” You hated lying about that stuff, but it would be weird to say that you hadn’t kissed Seto when the two of you were supposed to be engaged.

Jade’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh! You asked me before we left how to get rid of dreams that you didn’t want! OMG, have you been doing it with Seto Kaiba in your dreams? And more importantly, why in the name of any Egyptian gods would you want to get rid of them? The man could be a flipping supermodel!”

You shrugged, leaning back against the hard wood of the bench. “I don’t know, I guess they just make me uncomfortable.”

Jade grinned. “Well, keep them. Then I can go after the cute one… What was his name? Yugi Muto! Have you seen these pictures? He’s the King of Games around here, and wow, his eyes are so deep!”

You pretended to be interested in the pictures of the boy who was often referred to as Seto Kaiba’s rival, but you were actually looking across the park at a boy who, to be honest, was total eye candy. And yeah, Seto’s contract said that you weren’t allowed to have other relationships outside of his, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t look at cute boys.

“Hello? Are you even listening?” Jade asked, waving her hand in front of your face.

“I hear you talking, yes,” you replied, continuing to stare at the boy.

Jade followed your gaze and gasped. “Y/n, do you know who you’re staring at?”

“Yeah, a really cute Japanese boy,” you returned.

She cracked up, rolling her eyes. “No, silly, you happen to have noticed Joey Wheeler, the guy who is clearly out to prove that blond people are not dumb and have more fun than the rest of us.” She stood, flouncing her hair a little. “Let’s go introduce ourselves!”

“Wait!” you tried to tell her, but she grabbed your arm and hauled your butt over to the blond boy, who looked up as you approached.

“Hi!” Jade greeted him enthusiastically. “I’ve heard of you- you’re Joey Wheeler, right?”

Joey nodded, eyes lighting up. “Hey! Yeah, I do happen to be him!” He stood up and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you. You guys Americans?”

“Yep!” Jade chirped excitedly. “I’m Jade Palmieri, and this is my BFF, Y/n L/n! We’re students in New York!”

You winced. Jade tended to overshare a whole ton, but this was going overboard. You tended to never say a word about where you were from. It usually led to people saying, “Oh yeah? How’s Broadway?”

Joey’s reaction was actually very different. “Neat! I’m from Brooklyn, actually.” Now that he mentioned it, he did have a strong New Yorker accent. And he was cute. Bonus. He poked his head around Jade to look at you. “So you’re the BFF-” he cut himself off as his brain put your face with your name. He stumbled back a couple of steps.

“Something wrong?” you asked, cocking your head to the side.

“You’re… you’re Koyba’s fiance!” Joey practically screamed. “You gotta get outta here! If he sees you talking to me, he’ll kill you! He hates me!”

The instant the words “you’re Kaiba’s fiance” left Joey’s mouth, you knew that there was no leaving for you and Jade for a while.

Reporters swarmed you almost immediately, shoving microphones in your face. You shrunk back, slightly scared. Now you knew how Mr. Princeton felt 90 percent of the time that he was out of his house.

“A’right, a’right, e’rebody back up!” Joey yelled, stepping in front of you. “Y/n doesn’t have time for your dumb questions, so clear out!” He made a shooing motion with his hand, but the reporters didn’t budge. He turned back to you and shrugged, as if to say, “I tried.”

As the crowd pressed in closer, you spotted a figure behind the mob. It was a person wearing a jacket over a baseball cap that hid their face. Other than that, there was no identifying feature about them.

A couple of seconds later, you realized why. The figure raised its right hand, which contained a gun.

“Look out!” Joey yelled, shoving you out of the way just as the shot fired. It caught Joey in the shoulder, sending him flying onto you. Jade screamed, ducking behind Joey’s bench. The reporters instantly turned to take pictures as the figure fled.

Once they and the mysterious person were gone, you wriggled out from under Joey and took in the damage. People were starting to flock over, as is their nature, and you knew you had to get Joey and Jade out of there ASAP. Pulling out your phone, you dialed the first number you could think of.

Mokuba Kaiba picked up on the first ring. “Hello, this is Mokuba Kaiba, at your ser-”

Your body decided to start sobbing at that exact moment.

“Y/n!” Mokuba exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”

You hiccuped in distress, focusing on your location. “I’m- I’m at this one park by Jade’s hotel, and.. And there was a person with… with a gun, and they… they shot at me, but Joey Wheeler jumped in… in front of the shot and… and took a bullet in the… in the shoulder. How… How fast can you get here?” you panted.

“I can be there in five minutes. Keep him conscious, I don’t care how,” Mokuba ordered. “I’m going to call my brother and-”

“No!” you shrieked. “Anyone but that, call anyone but Seto, please, Mokuba.”

Mokuba sighed, exasperated but still concerned. “See you in five, Y/n. I’ll bring a good friend with me.”

Five minutes later, Mokuba pulled up in a sports car with a brunet guy riding shotgun. He launched out of the car before it even stopped and ran over to Joey while Mokuba parked. “ _ Oh, Joey, what did you do _ ?” he groaned.

Joey grinned weakly up at the guy. “ _ Well, Tristan, I played the part of knight in shining armor, once again, and look where that got me _ .”

Behind him, Jade was crouched on her knees, shivering.

The guy, Tristan, apparently, grabbed your shoulder. “Is your friend prone to panic attacks?” he asked, using English for your sake.

You shook your head. “No. She did go into shock once last year when she got the news that her brother had died.”

“I’m going to assume that’s what’s happening. Mokuba is going to take Joey and your friend to the hospital and I’m supposed to stay here with you until Kaiba arrives.” He let go of Joey and pulled you into a hug. “My name’s Tristan Taylor, by the way. I’m Joey’s best friend.”

“In ya dreams, ya big lug!” Joey yelled as Mokuba and some paramedics helped him onto a stretcher. A few more picked Jade up, and one even offered to put on the siren for her. Jade nodded numbly.

Tristan held onto you long after they were gone. He asked you to talk about anything so that you’d keep a grip on reality. It actually worked, until Seto drove right across the grass of the park (illegally) and pried you out of Tristan’s arms. “Let’s go,” he barked. “I suppose I should thank you, Taylor,” he snapped in Tristan’s direction. “Good job keeping her sane.”

“No problem, Kaiba,” Tristan responded. “Catch ya later!” Then he was gone.

Seto put you in the passenger seat, keeping one hand on your shoulder the entire way to… wherever he was going. He only asked questions about the person, mentioning once that he would bring them to justice, whoever they were.

Finally, he carried you into a huge skyscraper, not letting you down for a long time. You went up on an elevator, eventually coming to an office. He walked inside quickly, laying you on a couch. “You need rest after that ordeal. I’ll have someone bring up food and a hot drink.” Then he turned to leave.

“Seto?” you whispered, finding your voice once again.

He turned back around, gaze burning through you. You took a deep breath. “Can you stay here? Just for a little bit?”

Seto sighed. “I have work to do.” You intensified your puppy stare. “Puppy eyes don’t work on me. Mokuba will be back in half an hour. He can watch you then.” He left with a flick of his coat.

You rolled over, facing the back of the couch. Seto was such a jerk sometimes. At least he was having someone bring you lunch.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. You couldn’t quite figure out why this particular ordeal was affecting you so badly. You’d been shot at before, why were your nerves so, pardon the pun but, shot now?

_ Joey. _

Was he okay?

Maybe that was the problem. You’d been the target of many bullets, but no one had jumped in front of one before. Joey was the first person to actually try to save your life.

_ Bodyguarding the bodyguard. How ironic. _

By the end of the day, you just wanted to get home and collapse into bed. You didn’t care whether Seto was lying next to you or not, you just needed to go to sleep. Though you’d been lying down, you hadn’t slept a wink all day, and you were excruciatingly tired.

Seto was nowhere to be seen in the room you were in, so you got up and opened the door. A long hallway led you to the elevator, and by the time you stepped into the box, you had figured that you were in a KaibaCorp office building. Question was, where was Kaiba?

You turned your gaze to the many buttons on the wall of the elevator.  _ Well, Seto seems to be one for making expressions come true. Such as, may as well start at the top _ . You pressed the P for penthouse.

The elevator doors opened on a huge office, one with several comfortable-looking chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows. In the middle of the room sat a desk, made of what looked to be mahogany (you could practically hear Effie Trinket screaming), and behind that desk sat Seto Kaiba. Or rather, Seto was laying on the desk. Asleep. He actually looked quite peaceful.

You walked up to the desk, crouching down. In sleep, Seto’s face relaxed, giving him the appearance of his age, instead of someone much older. He actually looked twenty-one for once, looked like he should be out clubbing instead of stuck inside an office. And damnit if he didn’t look kind of cute like that.

_ Oh almighty gods of Egypt, _ you mentally groaned.

_ I’m falling in love with Seto Kaiba. _


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three of you left the building, following Mokuba out. You waved goodbye to Joey and his sister, but got no further.
> 
> A beeping noise coming from inside the hospital startled you, and you turned back. “Oh no.”
> 
> It was a noise you had heard once before, in a place much similar to this one.

A couple of days had passed since the Office Incident, as you called it. You’d gone to the hospital, finding Joey and apologizing. He waved you off and said it wasn’t your fault. “I need ta stop playin’ the hero,” he admitted sheepishly. “I probably could have ducked the bullet if I tried, but I knew Koyba woulda killed me if his fiance died and I could have done somethin’ about it.” You had laughed and patted him on the head, telling him to get better soon.

That was two days ago. Joey was supposed to get discharged today, so the first thing that you did when you got up was to push your hair out of your eyes and get dressed, grabbing a granola bar out of your backpack.

“Where are you going so early?” Seto called from his bed. Your attempts to sleep on the floor were still in vain, as you woke up in the middle of the night and crawled into bed. Somehow, Seto would always be awake.

“I’m going to the hospital, and for the record, it’s ten a.m.,” you shot back, slipping on your jacket. “Joey’s getting discharged and I wanted to make sure that he’s actually okay.”

“Don’t bother with that dweeb,” came the reply. “Honestly, I don’t know how I tolerated him three years ago. I was young and naive.”

“You were eighteen-”

Seto sat up and held up a hand. “I can’t physically stop you from going to the hospital- actually, I could, but that’s beside the point- so I’ll come with you. If you’re that worried about Wheeler, put your concerns to rest. I know from experience he can take any loss I dished out to him.”

You sighed. “I still want to go.”

He took a deep breath and swung his legs to the floor. You chose not to acknowledge his bare chest, instead turning toward the bathroom to brush your teeth. As soon as your teeth were squeaky clean, you grabbed a pair of nude heels off the floor and headed for the closet. 

“Blue looks good on you,” Seto said as you walked back into the room. You rolled your eyes, glaring down at the blue dress that adorned your figure.

“Well, I’m sorry that I don’t wear it that often,” you scoffed. “I actually find the color a little blinding.”

Seto returned the glare. “That’s my favorite color.”

“Obviously,” you snapped. “I was under the impression that we were going to the hospital?”

He did up the last button on his shirt. “If that will appease, you, then yes, we’ll visit Wheeler. I’ll stay outside, however.”

You gritted your teeth. “You’ll have to make amends eventually.”

“I know.”

The conversation ended as you strolled out of the room, fuming. Kaiba could just be so… infuriating!

You navigated the halls of Seto’s mansion, eventually stumbling upon Mokuba. “Have you seen my brother?” Mokuba asked.

“No,” you returned, “and I don’t care to. I’ll be heading to the hospital now.”

“I can take you!” Mokuba offered. “I got in a fight with Seto yesterday, so I’d rather not talk to him.”

You chuckled, nodding. “Of course. Even brothers fight.”

Mokuba led you to the kitchen, where you stopped for a quick donut and glass of milk, then to the garage. “Which car?” he asked, gesturing to the arrary of cars in front of you.

After a quick overview of the cars, you pointed to a small gray model, the most inconspicous of the lot. Mokuba grinned. “I knew it,” he said, heading for it. “You’re a girl with simple tastes. I guess you were too much for those poor Princetons.”

You laughed. “I guess. Slade could barely stand me, and Jagger refused to even talk to me. I don’t know what Chazz thought. He’s still an enigma.”

Mokuba opened the passenger side door for you. “Yeah, I worked with the Princetons a couple of months back. I don’t like that oldest boy. He kicked me in the shin.”

“Sounds like Slade,” you responded, sliding into the car. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he replied, going around to the other side of the car and climbing in. He turned the key and took off, not even looking back to shut the garage.

You drove in silence for a little bit before Mokuba cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” you asked.

“I lied to you. I didn’t fight with my brother, I just didn’t like the way he was treating you.” He kept his eyes on the road. The hospital loomed into the sky on your right. Mokuba made the turn as you processed that statement.

“What do you mean?” you asked. He gave a quiet sigh, parking the car.

“I didn’t want you to be alone in the car with him, if you understand my meaning,” Mokuba replied flatly.

You flushed but nodded. “I agree. Thanks for bringing me here.”

“No problem. Joey’s saved my butt countless times, so I figured I should tell him off for trying to save someone else’s.”

In spite of yourself, you started to laugh. Yes, you had admitted to yourself that you were in love with Seto (even with his not-as-likeable qualities), but dang, his brother was adorable.

“Let’s head on in. We need to catch Joey before he’s discharged,” Mokuba said, interrupting your thoughts. He held open the door, ever the gentleman. 

Joey was standing at the desk, filling out some paperwork. When he saw you and Mokuba, his eyes lit up. “Hey guys! What’s up?”

Mokuba grinned, holding out his fist. “Not much,” he replied as Joey bumped it. “We just wanted to make sure you were a-okay!”

You nodded, giving Joey a hug. “How did the surgery go?”

“Didn’t even hafta knock me out,” Joey proclaimed, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest. “They jus’ numbed up ma shoulder and then yanked out the bullet, then stitched me up.” He shoved down the collar of his t-shirt to show a circle of stitches. “Didn’ even flinch.”

“Yes you did! You cried like a baby when they pulled it out!” a female voice called from behind him. An auburn haired girl was signing the rest of the paperwork at the desk.

“Did not, ya rascal!” Joey called back.

Mokuba smiled faintly. “Uh huh. We should get going. Seto’s probably expecting us at his office building in a few minutes.”

“Please do not speed,” you called after him as he walked to the door. Joey and the girl followed, Joey laughing and joking with her. At one point, he referred to her as “sis” so you guessed that she was his sister, possible younger than him. They looked so happy, unlike the Kaiba brothers. 

The three of you left the building, following Mokuba out. You waved goodbye to Joey and his sister, but got no further.

A beeping noise coming from inside the hospital startled you, and you turned back. “Oh no.”

It was a noise you had heard once before, in a place much similar to this one.

 

_ “He’s so adorable,” you cooed over the baby in your arms. “Hi, there, little one. I’m going to take good care of you.” _

_ The woman who had just birthed him smiled. “I know you will, darling. Won’t she, boys?” She turned to the baby’s older brothers. They nodded emotionlessly, which you were used to by now. _

_ “All right,” the nurse said, coming into the room. “Looks like you and the baby are good to go!” _

_ Mrs. Princeton scoffed. “Finally,” she said, her tone and attitude changing drastically. She threw back the covers and glared at the boys by her beside. “Help me to the car.” _

_ Jagger and Slade took their mother’s arms and headed out of the room, leaving you, Mr. Princeton, and baby Chazz. _

_ “This is it,” you said, bouncing the small boy in your arms. “This is the one that’s going to beat his brothers down someday and take over your company. I can feel it.” _

_ Mr. Princeton smiled, started to say something, then stopped. “If he lives past today, that is,” he shot back. _

_ “What? The doctor said he was in perfect health!” you exclaimed, glancing down at Chazz. _

_ “Listen,” Mr. Princeton interrupted, pointing up. You tuned your ear to the sounds of the hospital and heard a distinct beeping sound. Two short beeps, two long beeps. Each sequence was about a second long. _

_ “I’ve taught you much about guarding my young sons, but there is one thing I haven’t taught you,” he said, grasping your shoulder without looking at you. His attention was still focused on the noise, after all. _

_ “And that would be, sir?” you asked meekly. _

_ “How to detect Malstrom Company.” _

_ You swallowed nervously. Malstrom Company, of which the head, only a year older than you, ran with precision and discipline, was Princeton Corporation’s worst rival. Rumor had it that the young CEO, even younger than Seto Kaiba, had it in for old Mr. Princeton. _

_ “Their bombs come with a signal. Two short, two long. Repeat. As does everything else. You need to get Chazz out of here.” He pushed your shoulder quickly. “Go!” _

_ “But sir-” you protested, but he ignored you. _

_ “Go!” _

_ You did as he heeded, dashing out the door with Chazz cradled in your arms. A sudden blast knocked you off your feet, and you fell to the ground, fortunately backwards so your body cushioned Chazz’s fall. He immediately began to wail, beating at your chest with his tiny fists. Against Mr. Princeton’s orders, you ran back to the hospital room- and screamed when you found it in flames. Mr. Princeton was standing calmly in the middle of it all, smoke curling around him. _

_ “Take my son,” he called over Chazz’s cries.. “If my wife lets you, raise him as if he was your own. If not, I wish you the best. There’s money for you in my will. Go to school in your home country.” _

_ Then the smoke became too thick, and you had to run. _

_ By the time you exited the building, Chazz still screaming like a banshee, the whole hospital was in flames. _

 

_ “Leave!” _

_ A pot smashed against the wall near your head. _

_ “You just worked with us for the money!” _

_ You ducked an ornamental vase.  _ That looked expensive, _ you thought. _

_ “All you cared about was getting rich!” Mrs. Princeton screamed, tossing another teapot. You jumped away from it as well, trying desperately not to drop Chazz. You set him down in his crib and kissed his forehead, then picked up your suitcase and left. _

_ You wouldn’t have left Chazz if you had known what life would bring him in the next few years, you knew that for a fact. _

 

“Is there anyone else at the hospital right now?” you asked Mokuba, grabbing his arm.

“Um,” Mokuba replied, thinking for a second. “I got a glimpse of the patient itinerary and it looked like there were only two other patients, since a small hospital is all Joey could afford.”

  
“What floor are they on?”

“I don’t see what you mean by-”

“What. Floor.”

“I think second.”

You dashed back into the hospital, sprinting past the front desk. The beeping got louder as you ran up the stairs. Two short, two long. Malstrom’s signature beep. You turn on a Malstrom phone, you get two short, two long. A bomb made by Malstrom is counting down, you get two short, two long.

The first room that you opened had no one in it, so you quickly moved on to the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth.

In the seventh room, a boy around Chazz’s age and a woman who you assumed to be his mother laid in a bed, shivering. You held out your hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Come with me.”

The woman stood up immediately and took your hand, holding her young son- and that’s when the bomb went off, sending a beam down that hit her in the head.

“Oh, what do I do now?” you groaned around as she collapsed. Finally, you just picked up the screaming boy and slung his mother onto your back. Adrenaline coursed through you as you charged down the stairs, along with a few employees. You made it outside just as the fire and destruction reached the lobby. At the same time, you realized that, ironically, the woman would need a hospital for her injuries.

“Help!” a voice suddenly called. You turned back to see a teenage volunteer kicking at some debris. Cursing yourself, you ran back to the building, pushing aside planks and pieces of cement. You held out a hand, pulling the girl up and over to safety- just as another plank fell down and struck you across the forehead.

You could feel Mokuba lifting you up, and you knew you’d be safe. Your last thought before losing consciousness was,  _ I’m never gonna hear the end of this from Seto. _


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inevitably, the conversation turned to your secret engagement with Seto. "So, why didn't you tell us?" Takehiko asked as he leaned over the side of a bridge to brush his hand over a branch that drooped down over the walkway.
> 
> "Seto begged me to keep it a secret. If anyone had found out before he got me to Japan, it could have spelled disaster," you explained. "I'm sorry, guys, I would have told you."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep._

Your eyes slowly opened to the sight of a hospital room ceiling. Slowly, you turned your head to your left, where you felt a pressure on your hand. To your surprise, Seto Kaiba sat in the chair next to your bed, squeezing your hand like a lifeline.

"Se..." you started, but a violent coughing fit racked your body, causing you to bolt upright, in turn bringing on a sharp pain down your back, forcing you to lay back down. Seto jerked awake immediately, moving his arm to cradle your back.

After the shock of waking up and pain and coughing were over, Seto released you, then stood up. He paced the room for a few seconds, then turned to you and screamed, " **What the hell were you thinking?** "

You flinched back, gritting your teeth. You'd known that he would be mad, but this was way more furious than you'd thought he'd be.

"You could have died! Why did you go with Mokuba? I'm the one who's supposed to be keeping you safe!" He clenched his fists, collapsing into the chair again. His shoulders, surprisingly, began to shake with worried sobs. "Don't you understand?" he added, his voice much softer now. "I'm trying to protect you."

Slowly, you eased up onto your elbows, then to a sitting position. With great difficulty and pain, you reached over and wrapped your arms around him. "I had to go back and save a girl who wouldn't have made it otherwise. I'm so sorry."

Seto made no movement to return your embrace, instead pushing you away and standing, making his way to the window. He stared out at the city for a second, then turned back to you. "Please. For the sake of Jade, Mokuba, your friend Takehiko, Wheeler, and me,  _especially_ me, don't put yourself in danger like that again."

"I make no promises, Seto," you returned, glaring him down. "My heart is too kind to work as a bodyguard anymore. Don't ask me for your sake, because frankly, I don't care about you like I should." He flinched, and you realized that you had struck a nerve. A very sensitive one, at that.

"Seto?"

He turned away from you. "You'll be discharged in a day. I expect you to return to the mansion. In two days, you have a sightseeing trip with Jade and Takehiko. Wheeler's tried to visit you several times. Mokuba is putting the blame on himself. Every one of those things affects me in some way. I have to take you and your friends to that trip, Wheeler is basically my mortal enemy, and my brother is the most important person in the world to me." He leaned his forehead against the glass.

You gritted your teeth, and decided to try something. "Is this your way of confessing?"

Seto whirled around, his head knocking into the window frame. He showed no signs of pain, only anger and confusion. "What did you just say to me?"

Again, you glared him down and repeated, "Is this your way of saying you've fallen in love with me?"

He sneered at you and scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself." His eyes told the real story, though. Sensing that you knew, he spun on his heel and walked briskly out of the hospital room. "I'll send your friend up."

 

A few minutes later, Jade burst into the room, throwing herself into your arms. "I can't believe that you would be so stupid! First Joey got shot, and now you run into a building you know is about to explode?"

You hugged her weakly. "I'm sorry, Jade," you said. "I didn't want to let anyone die."

Jade's eyes widened. "You don't know?"

"What?" you asked, unsure of what she meant.

Her shoulders slumped and she fell back. "The woman with the son didn't get out in time. She died right after they got her into the ambulance."

A pang for the little boy you'd rescued ran through your chest. "I had no idea." You remembered the feeling- you'd had the same reaction when Mr. Princeton had died. Chazz...

Jade stood up. "Seto lied, by the way, you're leaving in an hour. Takehiko pushed up our sightseeing trip."

"Wait, what?"

 

An hour later, Mokuba was signing some papers for you. "Have fun, guys," he said.

Takehiko pushed out of a hospital waiting room chair and walked over to you. "We will,  _thank you_."

Mokuba took Takehiko aside and began to speak to him in rapid Japanese, most of which consisted of what to do if paparazzi showed up. You laughed quietly, turning to Jade. "How's my forehead looking?"

Jade gave you a thumbs-up. "Good. Let's collect Takehiko and go."

It took both of you to drag Takehiko out of the hospital- it was clear that he was becoming fast friends with the younger Kaiba. He talked on and on about Mokuba's possible card developments and the new duel disk that had just come out.

Most of the trip consisted of this type of talk, though you did squeeze some group pictures in. Damn, those were stupid, but hilarious. Takehiko had you and Jade practicing your Japanese to ask people to take pictures for you, which was tons of fun. They seemed very understanding towards your bad pronunciation and gladly took five or six pictures each.

Inevitably, the conversation turned to your secret engagement with Seto. "So, why didn't you tell us?" Takehiko asked as he leaned over the side of a bridge to brush his hand over a branch that drooped down over the walkway.

"Seto begged me to keep it a secret. If anyone had found out before he got me to Japan, it could have spelled disaster," you explained. "I'm sorry, guys, I would have told you."

Jade shook her head. "Sucks, though. Joey is pretty cute." She proudly held out her arm to show a phone number scribbled in permanent marker. "We were both waiting for you to wake up and we got to talking."

"One thing led to another," Takehiko added, "and I found them in the janitor's closet about five minutes later with her hands up his shirt."

You laughed, elbowing Jade. "You go, girl!" After a sharp look from Takehiko you quickly scolded her with a "how could you kiss a guy you met like three days ago, what is wrong with you, yada yada yada". You were 90 percent positive that Jade wasn't listening.

When Takehiko turned around to take some pictures of the river, you hissed to her, "1-10, abs department."

"Total 8," she whispered back, "but no more questions. It didn't get any further than that." Still, she was blushing about twenty shades of red.

The trip came to an end all too soon. You bid your friends goodbye as Mokuba pulled up in his car. "Hey, how was your sightseeing trip?" he asked.

"Good. We took a lot of group pictures. I can show you if you want," you said.

"Sure, just not when I'm driving," Mokuba laughed. "Oh, by the way, I set up a guest bedroom for you."

You sighed. "Seto told you we were fighting?"

Mokuba chuckled. "The entire hospital could hear you guys screaming at each other."

"Oh."

He smiled as he pulled into the driveway. "Your room is adjacent to mine. If you need anything, I'm right next to you."

"Thanks, Mokuba," you replied, getting out of the car. He skipped around and gave you a hug. That kid could just be a kid sometimes, Seto wasn't going to change that.

Of course, the instant the two of you headed inside, Seto swiveled around in his desk chair, which was sitting in the lobby. "Welcome back," he said in a low tone.

"Hey, bro," Mokuba said, practically sprinting to the main floor kitchen without a second glance towards Seto and flopping down. Seto immediately turned his attention to you.

"Go up to my room. I'll be there in a second," he snapped.

You straightened up, lifting your chin slightly. "Mokuba prepared a guest room for me. I'll be sleeping there tonight."

Seto stiffened. Your name tumbled from his mouth before he could stop it, but you were already past him, Mokuba hot on your heels.

"Damn, that felt good," you muttered.

"Damn, that looked like it felt good," Mokuba replied. He held out a package of cookies. "Will this help you feel better?"

You grinned. "Aw, you're the best. You know what? I like you more than I do your brother."

Mokuba shrugged. "Too bad you're not supposedly marrying me, then."

Both of you stopped in your tracks, unsure what had just happened. The silence was deafening.

Finally, Mokuba cleared his throat and said, "If you'd like to meet me for lunch tomorrow, I'd appreciate it." He took a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to you. "After your trip to KaibaCorp with my brother to pick up some files on Malstrom, of course."

You took the paper and opened it. "Tabby Cat Cafe and Coffee Shop?" you read out loud. The address was scribbled beneath it in Mokuba's trademark messy handwriting. You had to wonder if he was left-handed.

Before you got the chance, Mokuba was calling, "See you tomorrow!" over his shoulder. His hand briefly ghosted over your shoulder as he walked off.

"Okay!" you called after him. Slowly, you made your way to your new room, opening the door. Good riddance, there was no poster of that damned dragon glaring down at you.

 

In the security room of the mansion, Seto leaned back in his swivel chair, watching the footage. A stack of paper sat next to him, your name printed on every sheet.

He gritted his teeth as Mokuba handed you the paper and then walked off, calling out a promise to see you the next day over his shoulder. His fist slammed into the screen, shattering it and cutting his hand in several places.

"Fire whoever made that screen!" he shouted. "Roland!"

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba!" Roland called.

On the monitor set in the guest bedroom, you flopped down on the mattress, sighing. Seto stood, breathing heavily, and watched you stand up and go into the closet, picking out a nightgown.

He should look away, and he knows it. But he loves you, deep down, and he wants you to care for him too. Mokuba can't take you.

Not on his watch.

Just before your fingers catch the bottom of your shirt, you turn, spot the camera, strip off your shirt, and throw it over the lens.

Seto curses under his breath. You were going to be the death of him, he was sure.


	10. Ten

_"There you are!"_

_You looked up from your Japanese textbook, taking a break to acknowledge Jade. "Hey, Jade. What's up?"_

_Jade grabbed your arm excitedly. "Our exchange students are here!" she said. "Mine is this_  kawaii _girl named Aimi Hirata. Yours- oh boy, you're gonna love yours." She stepped back to allow a young man to step forward._

_All at once, your insecurities rushed forward as you found yourself staring at the hottest guy you'd probably ever met in your life. Chiseled features, deep brown eyes framed by bright green glasses, and messy black hair all complemented his youthful appearance. He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth._

_"It's a- a-_ yosa, kofuku,  _ah,_ yorokobi,  _pleasure!" he stuttered, tripping over his English a little bit. "Watashinonamaeha Sakurai Takehikodesu."_

_You chuckled, recognizing the phrase for "my name is." You introduced yourself in Japanese as well, shaking his hand. "Your English is coming along well," you praised him.  
_

_Takehiko blushed, averting his gaze. "You are very... ah,_ kireina, sutekina,  _ah, exquisite!"_

_You laughed softly, patting the seat next to you. "Here's an American term for you- hot. Sometimes, if we find someone attractive, we call them hot."_

_He smiled, sitting down and setting his head on the desk. "Mother used that once, when teaching English. Called Father... hot."_

"Do you think he's hot?" Takehiko asked, dipping his bare toes into the hotel pool. His glasses were wet, making his eyes seem bigger. 

"Who?" you asked, though you knew the answer. 

"Seto Kaiba," he replied, staring across the pool at Joey and Jade, who kept splashing each other. 

You shrugged. "I'm supposed to be marrying him, so, I guess."

Takehiko nodded slowly, running his hand over the water. "I guess," he repeated, reaching over to brush his fingers against yours. "I wish I'd known, back when I got to your school. Maybe then I wouldn't have... flirted so much."

He stood up and went to one of the tables, when your phone was set. Rejoining you, he held out the device, unlocking it and opening the photos app. "Look at all these pictures," he whispered. "I feel like I was missing out."

He wasn't the only one. You couldn't help but wonder what your life would have been like if you'd let yourself fall for Takehiko...

Without warning, the phone began to buzz in his hand. You grabbed it quickly and answered the call. "Hey ho, Mokuba," you said, grinning.

"Heya!" Mokuba replied, sounding highly American for once. "I'll be at the hotel in fifteen minutes."

"See you then." You ended the call quickly.

Without missing a beat, Takehiko asked, "Was that Mokuba?"

"Yeah. We're catching lunch before I have to go with Seto to get some paperwork."

Takehiko nodded. "I'll see you sometime this evening?" It was a question. Not a statement.

"I'll try and make it back," you promised, standing up and going to the table. You picked up your shirt, shorts and baseball cap, sliding them on along with your sandals. "Do I look like myself?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Good. This is to avoid having reporters breathing down my neck," you responded. "See you guys!"

 

Ten minutes later, you joined Mokuba in the lobby. "How was swimming?" he asked.

"Eh, I just dangled my feet in the water," you replied. "I didn't really want to go out smelling like a hotel pool."

Mokuba laughed, spinning the car keys around his finger. "Alright, then, let's go."

You followed him out to your favorite inconspicuous car, hopping in the passenger seat. "So this Tabby Cat Cafe..." you said. "Does it have cats?"

"No, though I wish it did," Mokuba said. "It's my favorite place to grab a cup of coffee after work, though."

"Aren't you, like, 16?" you asked.

Mokuba whistled. "She hit it on the nose, ladies and gentlemen!" He laughed, cloying at the part of a game show host. "500 points for correctly guessing the age of Mokuba Kaiba!"

You cracked up at his impression, patting his hair slightly. "What would your brother say? Are you skipping work for me?"

He shook his head, laughter dying down. "No, I'm on my lunch break. Speaking of which, weren't you supposed to come in today and help him find files?"

"Oh, shoot!" you exclaimed, remembering. "I should go now and apologize."

Mokuba parked the car in front of the cafe. "Don't bother. He's already calmed down."

"Did you punch him?" you asked warily.

"No," he chuckled, getting out of the car and running around to open your door. "Once you didn't show up, he just tossed a pile of paperwork onto his desk, sighed, and hacked into the hotel security."

Your eyes widened. "He did what?" you exclaimed.

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "I know. At least he didn't throw his coffee yet. He did that one time and the secretary had burns up and down her neck for a week."

You had never heard of Seto physically injuring someone up until this point, even accidentally. "Really?"

"Yeah. It was an accident. She opened the door just as he threw it. I think it was meant for the plant." Mokuba shrugged. "His aim has never really been that good."

He ordered a couple of coffees and sandwiches while you waited, trusting his judgement. You found a nice table right next to the window and waited for him to join you.

"It's gonna be a little bit," he told you as he sat down, "because it's the lunch hour."

"That's okay," you responded, leaning your chin on your hands. "So, Mokuba. Do you even get to go to high school?"

Mokuba shook his head. "Not on a regular basis. I own about 30% of KaibaCorp, so I have to manage that, and it's hard to do so on top of homework."

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a waitress bringing a tray with two sandwiches and two coffees out from behind the counter. You began to clear your books off the table, but she turned and handed the tray to a young couple who were holding hands- by the other window.

"I guess they mixed up the order," Mokuba said. You watched the young woman pick up the cup of coffee, take a sip, swallow- and fall to the floor. A couple of seconds later, the man did as well.

You jumped to your feet and rushed over, Mokuba hot on your heels. By the time you got there (it actually took about a minute because of the crowd swarming for the exit), both people lay on their sides. Mokuba immediately swiped a cotton swab over the man's lips and dropped it into a plastic bag, sealing it shut.

The most chilling part? When you put your fingers to the woman's neck, you felt nothing. No pulse. She had dropped dead. An inspection of the man yielded the exact same results.

"Let's go," Mokuba barked, pulling your towards the door. He practically launched into the car, shoving you into the passenger's seat before peeling off without giving you a chance to buckle up.

 

"This whole thing has Malstrom written all over it," Seto said, pacing back and forth in his office. He walked over to a coffee machine and filled a cup, draining it quickly. He tossed the cup into the recycling and stormed back to his desk. "You two are lucky to have survived. My scientists have determined that the poison used was cyanide, which reacted with the water in the coffee. It was both a gas and the drink they took that killed them, and there was quite a lot in the sample." He turned back to you and Mokuba. "It was a stroke of luck that you both escaped. I'll need to keep you two in my sight until you show absolutely no signs of cyanide poisoning."

Mokuba nodded swiftly, starting to stand. Seto held out a hand. "Stay. I have a few questions for both of you."

You leaned forward slightly, watching Seto's eyes with your own.

Seto turned to you first. "Why does Malstrom want to kill you?"

You took a deep breath. It had been a long time coming, but Seto deserved an explanation after all he'd been through to keep you alive.

"As you both know, my mother and I worked for the Princetons. She was the nanny until about ten years or so after Jagger was born. She was their bodyguard, protector, chef, tutor, and playmate. One day, we were out on a walk and I was teaching Slade how to forge his father's signature. Sitting at a park, I was looking over the two boys, and my mother was keeping an eye out. About an hour into my lesson, I heard a gunshot." You swallowed, trying your best not to cry in front of Seto. "A man was dodging my mother's bullets while trying to keep a mask over his face. He pulled out a gun of his own and started shooting back. A lucky shot caught her in the head, killing her instantly. I ran and grabbed her gun. The man shot at me too, and I shot back. He was a sitting duck since he was out in the open and trying to aim properly. My first bullet caught him in the heart, the second in the head." Mokuba set a hand on your shoulder, reaching out to wipe away the tears that were steadily flowing down your face. "I-I took- I took over for- for her, trying... trying my- my best to care for the... the boys, until- until Mr. Princeton died. That was when I- I came to- to America."

Seto stared at you, his face betraying no emotion. Finally, he walked around to the edge of his desk and kneeled in front of you, cradling his face in your hands. "I apologize for being so hard on you and forcing you into this. I had absolutely no idea, I assure you."

Mokuba let go of you, stood, and backed away, pretending to be interested in the bookshelf.

"From now on, I vow to never rest until I bring Malstrom to justice," Seto continued. A small smirk crossed his face and he added, "They could be knocked down a few pegs anyway. I'm almost positive that they're trying to buy out KaibaCorp."

You giggled a little, letting him rest his forehead against yours. "Thank you, Seto."

Seto pulled back, all emotion wiped from his face once again. He kissed you quickly and then got to his feet. "Oh, and one more thing," he added. "At this point, I will return you to America at the scheduled time. I will have Malstrom shut down by then."

Smiling, you stood and held out your hand. "It's a deal, Mr. Kaiba."

He took your hand and said, "Pleasure doing business with you. You're still staying in my mansion."

"Dammit!" you exclaimed, yanking your hand back.

 

He watched you again, leaning his chin into his hands. Seto was fascinated with how you danced when you thought no one was watching you. America music did have a rather nice beat, even though the words were terrible.

On-screen, you strode to your closet and pulled out a pair of blue pajamas. Seto sighed, leaning back in his chair. He knew he shouldn't be watching you, but you were so beautiful to him.

It had been good thinking, planting that waitress to switch your food. The holograms he had created with the latest KaibaCorp technology to stimulate human reactions to whatever was in the food had been an excellent idea as well.

"Thank you, Pharaoh," Seto said out loud, rubbing his thumb across the screen. "You gave me the idea of using my dueling tech to save my brother and my love. I wish we could duel once more."

His phone buzzed. A text from Wheeler.  _Can't seem to reach her. Is she okay?_

Seto gritted his teeth. Joey. Nuisance. He responded quickly.  _Her phone was turned off today. She's doing fine, thank you._

Time to get the ball rolling. That Malstrom boy had nothing on Seto Freaking Kaiba.


	11. Eleven

Three weeks.

Seto watched the clock tick down to midnight. He now had exactly three weeks to either buy out or get rid of Malstrom Corporation. Reaching for his laptop, he opened up a new tab. After checking to make sure it was a hidden browser, he typed the words _Okami M_ _alstrom scandal._

The article he found was titled "Malstrom v. Princeton" and was about five years old. Perfect. He sat back and began to read.

_Malstrom Okami, the young heir to the company of Malstrom, currently fifteen, was convicted this past Saturday of sexually harassing and assaulting a fourteen-year-old girl. He pleaded innocent in court but was found guilty due to the bruises left on the girl's neck and arms (pictured below). The girl was found to be the daughter of the late caretaker and bodyguard of the Princeton family. She was allegedly playing with the oldest son when Malstrom picked her up and threw her into his car, kidnapping her and endangering the sons in the process. The head of Princeton Corporation issued an official statement suing Malstrom Corporation after the girl brought her injuries to his attention and identified her attacker. Footage from the security camera in the backyard of the Princeton Manor is attached._

Seto watched the footage, staring in shock as a fourteen-year-old version of you was picked up and thrown into the back of a very expensive looking car by a young blonde man. Too stunned to think to do anything else, he kept reading.

_Charges pressed were that of kidnapped, sexual harassment and sexual assault. However, two days ago, Malstrom paid off the court directors and was released from prison twenty-nine years earlier than he was meant to be. He returned to his company and took over for his father, who had died from shock. Yesterday, he released an official statement saying that "these charges were falsely placed- I have never meant any harm to the Princetons or their workers." Princeton denied the statement, releasing a counter with more pictures of the bruises left on the girl (below)._

So that was why Malstrom was after you. If they could get you to release a statement denying everything, they'd be free. And that was why you were so scared of them. Seto clenched his fist around his water bottle, accidentally cracking it. Water poured out onto the floor.

"FIRE WHOEVER MADE THAT BOTTLE!" he screamed, slamming shut his laptop.

A light knock came at his door. "Seto?" your voice came through.

Seto quickly composed himself and opened the door. "Yes? It's midnight. What are you doing up?"

You shrunk back slightly. "I- uh- heard a crash and I wanted to see if you were okay."

Seto sighed. "I appreciate your concern, but you should get some sleep." He took your arm and led you back towards the guest room. "Please, stay in here. It's safer." He pulled you into his embrace and kissed your forehead.

"Okay," you breathed into his shirt. He let go of you and started to walk off, but stopped at the sound of your voice.

"Seto?"

He turned, probably a little too quickly, and asked, "Yes?"

You backed towards the room and whispered, "Will you stay with me?"

Seto sighed. "I have three weeks. There's work to do."

"No, Seto-" you started, reaching out. "Please. Now."

Your tone brought on immediate concern, prompting Seto to take a couple of steps toward you. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.

You hesitated slightly, then lifted the leg of your pajama pants to your knee. Seto hadn't been able to see it in the dim light, but your leg and your pants were soaked in blood. An angry gash glared at him from your skin.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, voice dangerously low, as he stepped closer. His arms moved under yours to support you, as you looked as though you might collapse any moment.

You swallowed. "He came back. He found me. Okami." You smiled sadly, curling close to Seto. "You must know. The resources at your fingertips are endless." Your voice was strangely calm for the amount of pain your must be in. Seto spotted a trail of blood from his office down the hall. How could he not have noticed?

Seto pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and called Jade, supporting you with one arm. "Hello? Jade?"

He could feel you slipping out of consciousness as he talked. "Please send Wheeler to my mansion immediately. I don't happen to have his number."

"What's happened?" Jade asked frantically. "It's, like, midnight!"

"JUST DO IT!" Seto barked, then hung up. He threw his phone to the floor and carried you downstairs.

 

Jade and Joey burst through the doors just as Seto reached the ground floor. "What's wrong with her?" Jade exclaimed, rushing up to Seto.

"She had a bad fall. I need you to run her to the hospital." He handed you to Joey. "If anything happens to her, you'll answer to me, understand?"

Joey nodded, tightening his grip on you. "What about you?"

"I have a few calls to make," he said, turning on his heel and walking away.

Joey glanced down at you. "Why would he just leave her?"

Jade grabbed his arm. "He's probably calling the police. I bet he'll meet us there." She stroked your hair as she and Joey strode out. "What is going on?" she whispered.

 

"I came as soon as I could!" Takehiko screamed, blasting through the hospital room doors. "Is she okay?"

You looked up from your book. "Hey, Takehiko," you said weakly. "I'm fine. Just needed a little extra blood."

Jade stood and gave him a hug. "Thanks for coming," she whispered. "I think she could really use all the friends she can get right now."

Takehiko smiled. "It's no trouble," he said. "I couldn't help but think something was about to go wrong, and I guess something did go wrong."

"Well, I'll report you to the American Society of Fortunetellers, then," you joked.

His eyes widened. "Is that a real thing?"

You shook your head. "Just messing." You grinned. "Come sit with me."

"Kaiba won't mind?" Takehiko asked.

You cracked up. "Just come over here."

He did, sitting down next to you and putting an arm around your shoulders. "What happened? How did you hurt your leg?"

"Well," you started, voice lowering slightly, "I was lying in my bed in the mansion, and I woke up to see someone standing over me. I tried to call for help, but he covered my mouth with his hand. He held a knife to my throat and told me to shut up. I managed to kick the knife out of his hand, but it fell on my leg and gave me a deep- how did you know I hurt my leg?"

Takehiko pointed to the small amount of blood on the sheets. "Lucky guess, I suppose."

You groaned. "They're going to kick you guys out to change my bandages. Thanks for noticing- I'll call the nurse in."

He sighed and kissed your forehead. "Don't get yourself hurt while we're gone, okay?"

Jade pulled Takehiko up and started to back out. "We'll give you some space."

 

Seto pulled up to the hospital, running some records through his online system. "Jade Palmieri, majoring in business- maybe I'll give her a job at KaibaCorp when she graduates," he muttered to himself. "Takehiko Sakurai..."

 _NO MATCH_ , the screen said. Seto double-checked his spelling, then added onto the search. "Takehiko Sakurai exchange program, University of New York," he said as he typed.

_NO MATCH._

He grabbed his phone and dashed inside the hospital, typing frantically.  _Sakurai, Takehiko images_.

Angry green eyes stared at him from behind blonde bangs in the pictures. How could he have been so stupid?

He practically ripped the door off its hinges. "Did you sign up for the student exchange program?" he snapped, gripped your bedframe.

You looked up, slightly surprised. "No, I thought it came with the class."

Seto tossed a stack of paperwork onto your bed. "Here's your friend Jade's paperwork, along with her exchange student's."

"Where's Takehiko's?" you asked.

"Takehiko doesn't exist," Seto replied, showing you the phone screen. "The name is an alias for a certain Okami Malstrom."

Your hand flew up to your mouth and your eyes widened. "No," you whispered. "No, no, it can't be!"

Seto typed again. "Takehiko Sakurai, Okami Malstrom," he read out loud. "It's buried deep but I found it."

Tears pooled in your eyes and began to flow down your face. "Not Takehiko. He's the sweetest guy I know." Seto made a face. "Well, he is!"

 

In the hotel room he shared with a couple of the students, Okami tugged at the brown-black wig, itching his head. "Finally," he muttered, pulling it off and laying it on the sink. He popped out the colored contacts and wiped off the makeup. "I suppose I should get back to my company."

He turned on his phone- two short beeps and two long beeps accompanied the buzz of activation. The screen lit up with a picture of you and him as Takehiko. "We'll be together soon, my dear," he said, slipping the phone into his pocket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly did not expect Takehiko's story to go this route- I just thought he was working for Malstrom, but then my brain went, "Hey, let's do this," and I think it turned out okay.


End file.
